Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,606 in Manama versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,517 in Manama versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,428 in Manama versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Manama is roughly 30% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 17% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 BHD 2.52

$4.41 ฿147

51.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 BHD 19.64

$32.26 ฿1,077

61.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.75

$8.93 ฿298

-18.25%

Cappuccino

$4.82 BHD 1.82

$2.90 ฿96.6

66.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$0.88 ฿29.38

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 BHD 0.12

$0.48 ฿16.06

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 BHD 2.51

$2.35 ฿78.5

182.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 BHD 3.71

$3.72 ฿124

164.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$1.87 ฿62.3

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$1.47 ฿48.94

-27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 BHD 0.87

$1.55 ฿51.8

48.39%

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

$2.10 ฿70.1

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 BHD 3.31

$19.59 ฿654

-55.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 BHD 2.39

$3.42 ฿114

85.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 BHD 3.19

$11.38 ฿380

-25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.98 ฿99.6

-19.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 BHD 0.89

$1.68 ฿56.2

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 BHD 0.71

$2.21 ฿73.7

-14.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$2.16 ฿72.1

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$1.52 ฿50.9

-30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$1.34 ฿44.67

6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 BHD 0.59

$1.13 ฿37.67

37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$0.55 ฿18.24

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 BHD 1.95

$4.26 ฿142

21.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.37 BHD 6.92

$19.09 ฿637

-3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 BHD 1.31

$1.78 ฿59.4

94.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$2.78 ฿92.9

-5.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$2.23 ฿74.4

-71.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.78 BHD 14.24

$22.74 ฿759

66.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 BHD 2.03

$3.03 ฿101

77.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 BHD 1.32

$1.02 ฿34.15

244.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.79 BHD 5.95

$3.89 ฿130

305.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$1.49 ฿49.77

-57.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

40.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.4K BHD 7,674

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-24.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$154 BHD 57.9

$102 ฿3,420

50.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.27 BHD 9.15

$11.33 ฿378

114.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.61 BHD 13.04

$17.40 ฿581

98.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 BHD 23.30

$52.1 ฿1,738

18.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.54 BHD 11.51

$11.07 ฿370

175.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 BHD 4.06

$7.69 ฿257

40.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$495 BHD 187

$561 ฿18.7K

-11.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K BHD 4,096

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-5.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 BHD 19.05

$63.0 ฿2,104

-19.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 BHD 21.74

$29.52 ฿986

95.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 BHD 32.85

$98.0 ฿3,272

-11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 BHD 34.29

$88.5 ฿2,954

2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 BHD 378

$738 ฿24.6K

35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 BHD 242

$482 ฿16.1K

33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 BHD 783

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-1.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 BHD 521

$1,226 ฿40.9K

12.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 BHD 1,000

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-26.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 BHD 738

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-24.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,273 BHD 857

$494 ฿16.5K

360.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

5.57

11.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Manama: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Manama and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 361% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Manama vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $274, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 361% higher in Manama, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,002 in Manama versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 66% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $495 in Manama versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,606 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.